24:Deadly Game
by TheKief
Summary: The city of Los Angeles has seen many threats. But now, the biggest threat has come to pass, and only one man can stop it.
1. Chapter 1:The Game

24:Deadly Game

The following takes place between 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM.  
Events occur in real time.

First National Bank  
Downtown Los Angeles  
7:00 AM

For a weekday morning in Los Angeles, it was fairly quiet. The usual morning traffic was there, but there was an odd stillness about the air. The calm before the storm, some would say. But the First National Bank was bustling with activity. Located in the center of the city, it was the focus of many people on this fine California day. All the people inside were busy going about their business. So busy, in fact, that they didn't even notice a Middle Eastern man entering the bank dressed in a black trench coat, with an MP5 in one hand. He walked up to the front desk nonchalantly, and hit the bell. When an attractive woman in a black business suit approached, he immediately raised the weapon.  
"Nobody move! I want everyone on the ground, face down, with their hands on their heads!"  
A burly man behind the Middle Eastern man looked him over for a moment, then decided he must take action. He moved in to grab the Arab, but he whirled around and smacked the burly man in the head with the MP5. The burly man slumped to the floor, unconscious. The Arab then raised the MP5 into the air and hit the trigger, spraying off rounds into the ceiling of the bank. Instantly, everybody in the bank followed his directions and jumped to the floor, hands on their heads. The Middle Eastern man then took off his jacket, to reveal C-4 plastic explosive strapped to his chest.

Los Angeles Counter Terrorist Unit  
7:04 AM

Michelle Dessler walked into CTU, ready for the day ahead. Ever since her husband, Tony Almeida, had been sent to jail on charges of treason, she had become somewhat of a rogue at CTU. She just didn't want to deal with all the "im sorry's" and all the fake regret she would get from all of her coworkers. All she wanted was to be left alone. She walked up to the desk of Kim Bauer, one of the more decorated agents here at CTU LA. Kim looked up as she approached.  
"Hi Michelle," Kim said, then glanced back down to her screen.  
"Hey Kim. Has your father come in yet?," she asked with a fleeting look up to the upper offices of CTU, where the Field Ops agents were located.  
"No, he's taking the morning off. Him and Kate were going to go out for breakfast," she said with a smile.  
"I see. When he comes in, tell him I want to speak with him, would you?"  
"Sure, no problem."  
"Thanks," Michelle said, and then she walked off to her desk. She sat in her chair, hoping today was going to be one of those easy days. She just didn't feel up to going through any huge stress today, especially since a lot more would be coming later on tonight. She'd actually been dreading this day for awhile, the day of Tony's trial for the plea of a shortened sentence. She knew he wouldn't get it, it would just be one of those disappointments. When she came to think of it, she should be used to disappointments. They pretty much filled her life. Then she saw something she definitely did not want to see. The new director of CTU, John Davis, coming down the stairs from his upper office with a worried look on his face. He sauntered to the center of CTU and called for everyone's attention.  
"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen. We have a situation. Moments ago, a man entered the First National Bank downtown and fired off some shots. He has hostages, and he also has a bomb strapped to his chest. Were sending a field team down now, and LAPD is on it's way also. I need everyone on top of their game, and I want every single person in here having their only focus on this situation. Lets go people!," he bellowed before walking back upstairs.  
Michelle put her head in her hands and sighed. This was going to be a long day.

Jack Bauer's Residence  
Los Angeles Suburbs  
7:08 AM

The phone kept ringing. And ringing. And ringing. Jack Bauer sighed as he rolled over in bed and looked at his clock. He thought he had the morning off. He picked up the phone.  
"Hello?"  
"Jack, its John over at CTU."  
"John, I have the morning off."  
"I know Jack, but something big has happened."  
"What is it?"  
"We got a guy at the First National Bank downtown with a bomb strapped to his chest, and he has plenty of hostages."  
"Son of a bitch, I'm on my way," Jack said, rubbing his eyes.  
"No, don't bother coming here. Just go to the bank, we'll have a field team ready for you there."  
"Alright John," Jack said, and then hung up. He turned around in bed and looked over at the woman in bed with him. Kate Warner slept peacefully next to him, the covers covering her naked body. Damn she was beautiful, Jack thought. He then gave a last glance at his clock, and got up off the bed.

Glendale Apartments  
L.A. Outskirts  
7:12 AM

Chase Edmunds cradled his daughter, Angela, in his arms. She was crying uncontrollably, and he had to find a way to stop her. He decided he'd call Kim.  
Back at CTU, Kim was monitoring the bank situation when her phone rang.  
"CTU Kim Bauer."  
"Kim, it's Chase. Angela's crying, and I cant stop her. What do I do?"  
Kim laughed, "Chase, just give her the bottle. It's not that hard, babe."  
"Easy for you to say. How are things down there?"   
"Well we got a little problem."  
"What's that?"   
"Some guy is shooting up the bank downtown. He's got some hostages, and he's got a bomb strapped to his chest. The weird thing is he hasn't demanded anything yet."  
"Well, I need to come in."  
"Chase, you cant. Your hand hasn't fully healed yet, plus what about Angela?"  
"I can call Chloe over, she can watch her. It's her day off today."  
"Remember what happened last time when she watched her? Everything went to hell."  
"Kim, I need to come in there. I can help in some way."  
"Chase, no you can't. Just relax, you coming in here will only cause Davis to get pissed at you and that's something we don't need right now."   
Chase sighed, thinking the situation over. He finally relented, "Fine, just keep me updated, ok?," he asked.  
"Ya, no problem. I got to go, luv ya."  
"I love you too."

Mike Hammond sat at his desk in the upper offices of CTU, getting ready to head out to the bank to meet up with Jack. This was his first week on the job, and so far it had gone pretty smoothly, with a few slight exceptions. But his feelings now were ones of confidence. He was ready for the big time, and he saw today's situation as a chance to prove himself to everyone at CTU. He got up from his desk and walked by Jacks empty office, then down the stairs and to the left, into the dark back hallway. He was headed for the locker room to suit up in the traditional field team gear, similar to the gear that SWAT wears. Up ahead, he saw Kim Bauer talking to another CTU worker. He slowed his walking for a second to admire her. She was really something, those nice shaply legs and firm.....he stopped himself. If Jack ever found out he had a thing for his daughter he would probably kill him, seeing as her and Chase were now living together. But he couldn't help but look; she was very attractive. As he walked by, tho, he noticed something strange. She was giving him a weird look, a look that can come off as a flirty look. She smiled at him, and he looked back with a dumbfounded expression. Was she serious?! After a moment, Mike shrugged it off and entered the locker room. No time for that stuff now. It was time for business.

Jack was on his way to the bank in his black SUV. He was dressed in a black polo shirt and khakis. He hadn't dressed like this for work before, but Kate forgot to wash his usual clothes, so he had to go with this. His Glock 9mm was tucked into his pants, and he was pretty much ready to go. He left a note next to Kate for when she woke up saying he was sorry for leaving but he had to. After all, his job was what it was. There was no telling what could happen and when. The sun was beaming into his eyes, so he put on his sunglasses. Those glasses had been through a lot. They were there when he killed Ted Coffel; they were there when he went back undercover with "The Patriots" who bombed CTU. They only went to show just how dangerous and unpredictable his life was. His phone suddenly rang. He took it off the passenger seat and answered.  
"Hello?"  
"Hello Jack."  
"Who is this?"  
"Someone you used to know very well, and will get to know better over the course of today."  
"What are you talking about? Who the hell is this?"  
"Im sorry Jack. But I must go. You'll be hearing from me soon."  
The line went dead.

7:21:33  
7:21:34   
7:21:35

7:25:51  
7:25:52   
7:25:53

Jack pulled into the banks parking lot, which was swarmed with cops and two SWAT vans. Lo and behold, the field team hadn't arrived yet. But that didn't bother Jack as much as what had just transpired moments ago. Who was that man on the phone? When would he call back? Should he tell anyone about it? All these questions swarmed his mind as he exited his car and approached a familiar face, an old friend from the LAPD, Captain Anderson. He was crouched behind a patrol car, with his gun aimed at the bank. Through the front window, Jack could see the maniac inside, screaming out things in his native language. Jack crouched down beside Anderson.  
"John, how are things?," Jack asked.   
Anderson turned his head and his eyes bulged when he realized who it was.  
"Jack? Jack Bauer? You little (bleep)!," Anderson said with a smile and a laugh." How ya been?"  
"Not bad. Yourself?"  
"Well. I was doing good until I heard about this guy. Where's your field team?"  
"They're on their way, im guessing. Has this guy told you what he wants?"  
"No, he wont talk to us. Figures, today was my day off, and this piece of crap has to ruin it."  
"Mind if I have a go?," Jack asked, motioning his head to a speaker on the roof of the captains car.  
"Be my guest. I doubt he'll say anything tho."  
Jack grabbed the horn and slowly walked up to the bank.  
"Sir, my name is Jack Bauer. Now, we don't want to see anybody get hurt here, so lets try to talk this through.  
The man inside the bank looked over at Jack. Upon seeing him, a look of recognition popped across his face. He now knew what he had to do. Meanwhile, Jack continued talking.  
"Do you hear me sir? This can end peace.....  
Jack trailed off as he saw what was about to happen. The man inside hit a button on the bomb apparatus strapped to his chest. Jack turned around and screamed, "Everybody down!" He then started to sprint back towards the cars as the bank exploded in a ball of flame.

7:30:05

John Davis was sitting in his upper office at CTU. He looked out the large window that overlooked the floor below, and couldn't help but smile. He pretty much made CTU into what it was now himself, or at least he thought so. After Tony Almeida was arrested, he moved in and immediately established his rules and regulations. Since then, they had been followed perfectly, even by Jack Bauer himself. Well, he thought, Jack really hasn't been himself lately. After executing Ryan Chappelle and going through drug rehab to eliminate his heroin addiction, some could say he'd become a shell of his former self. He was despondent now, less likely to start a conversation. His phone suddenly rang, interrupting his reverie. He picked it up.  
"Hello?"   
"Is this Mr. Davis?"  
"Yes, who is this?"  
"This is Captain John Anderson of the LAPD. I'm sure you know about the bank problem."  
"Yes, I'm aware. What's going on down there now?"  
"Well, sir, the man detonated the bomb on his chest. Were beginning the search for bodies."  
"My God. Is Jack Bauer there?"  
"Well, he was sir."  
"What do you mean, was?"  
"He was attempting negotiations with the suspect when the bomb exploded. We haven't found him yet.  
Davis sat, not talking for a few moments.  
"Sir, are you there?"  
"Yes, I'm here. Tell me if you find his body."  
"I will sir."   
"Has my field team arrived yet?," Davis asked with a glance down towards Kim, who was working at her station.  
"Yes, they got here just in time to see the bomb explode, actually," Anderson said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.  
"Son of a b!tch. Let me speak to Mike Hammond, he should be there."  
"Sure," Anderson said, handing the phone to Hammond, who was standing next to him.  
"Mr. Davis?"  
"Why the hell didn't you get there in time? If you did, this disaster could have been prevented!"  
"It wasn't my teams fault sir. We had no transportation."  
"What do you mean you had no transportation, we had a van outside waiting for you."  
"There was no van sir. When we got outside CTU, we had nothing. I managed to flag down a pedestrian, and we used his car."  
"Alright, we may have a big problem here. I have to call Division, keep me updated.  
"Yes sir."

The first thing he heard were sirens. Jack Bauer slowly began to move underneath the rubble he was buried under. He felt a huge amount of pain in his midsection that could possibly mean he had internal bleeding. He pushed up and removed the stuff on top of him, and slowly rose to his feet. His shirt was torn, and his pants were covered in dust. His field team came running towards him, but he kept walking. He didn't know why, he just had to walk. He heard the voice of Mike Hammond.   
"Jack! Jack! You gotta stop, let the paramedics look at you!"   
But Jack kept walking. Hammond realized it was no use to try and stop him, and went back to his team. Jack walked up to Anderson, who had a shocked look on his face.  
"Oh my God, Jack...."  
"John, call CTU. Tell them....  
Jacks phone rang, cutting him off mid-word. He looked down to his pocket, where it was tucked. He had a feeling he knew who it was. He picked it up.  
"Hello?"  
"Its me again, Jack." It was him again.  
"You son of a bitch, you had something to do with this, didn't you?"  
"Obviously Jack. But there's more where that came from, my friend."  
"What the hell are you talking about?"  
"What I'm saying is there are many more men just like the man in the bank. They all have bombs strapped to their chests, and they are all waiting for my signal."   
"What do you want?"  
"Oh, we'll get to that later. But first, I want you to play my game."  
"What game?"  
"You have 20 minutes to get to the mall. If you don't get there in time, I will instruct the bomber positioned there to detonate his bomb. It's as simple as that, Jack. Oh, and don't call for help. If you do, I'll order a detonation."  
"How the hell am I supposed to get to the mall in 20 minutes?"  
"I don't know Jack. Find a way. But rest assured, he will detonate that bomb if he dosent see you there."  
"How do I know he wont do it anyway?"  
"You don't. You just have to trust me Jack. Talk to you later."  
"No! Wait...."  
The line was dead again. Jack instantly began running to his SUV, with Anderson in tow.  
"Wait, where are you going?"   
"There's no time to explain."  
"Where are you going? Jack?"  
But Jack had already sped away, leaving a confused Anderson to wonder what was going on. He started to run towards Hammond.  
"Mike! Mike! Jack just left!"  
Hammond turned to Anderson. "Did he say where he was going?"  
"No, someone called him and after that he just left."  
"Alright, I gotta call Davis."

Michelle Dessler was still at her desk. She knew today was going to be a bad day, and it could only get worse. Her phone rang, and she hesitantly picked it up.  
"CTU Dessler."  
"Michelle, it's Chase."  
"Oh, how are things Chase?"  
"Great, but I need a favor."  
"Sure, what is it?"  
"Well, I heard about the bank bombing and I want to come in. I think I can help, even with my hand the way it is. But Kim is obviously adamantly against it. So, I was wondering if you could like, put her on something for a little bit so I can stop in?"   
Michelle laughed. "Deception is never good in a relationship, Chase."  
"I know, I know. But I need to do this. I got Chloe to watch the baby, so Im all set there. All I need is this favor."   
"Alright Chase. But Im not responsible for what might happen."   
"Thanks Michelle. I owe you one."  
Michelle hung up and got up, ready to head over to Kim when Davis approached.  
"Michelle, we got a problem."  
"What is it now?"  
"It's Jack. He was injured in the bank explosion, but he refused medical attention and left the site really quickly after a phone call. We don't know what the phone call was about, but I thought of a certain technique we can use to find out."  
"Yes, I've done that before."   
"Well, can you do it? This is very important."  
"Sure, but I have to.."  
"No, this cant wait. Get back to me with your results."  
He started to walk away, but stopped.  
"One more thing. The field teams van disappeared from our lot about 20 minutes ago. Pull up the security cameras during that time, and send to my screen what you get."  
"Ok, I'll get right on it."   
Davis walked away, and Michelle gave a quick glance to Kim, who was still sitting at her desk. That would have to wait.

7:42:25  
7:42:26   
7:42:27

7:46:35  
7:46:36   
7:46:37

Jack was speeding down the expressway, going just about 80 miles per hour. He had to get to the mall, nobody else was going to get hurt. His phone rang, and he answered it.  
"Bauer."  
"Dad, it's me."   
It was Kim. "Honey, I cant talk right now. I'm in the middle of something."  
Kim was standing in Davis' office, with him standing behind her. He figured if the phone call trace Michelle was working up didn't work this would be his next best play. Jack would tell his daughter anything.  
"What is it?," Kim asked her father.  
"Just...something sweetheart. I'll call you back later."  
He hung up, which shocked Kim. Her dad had never hidden anything from her. What was he doing that was so important? Jack, meanwhile, threw his phone on the passenger seat and got off at Exit 21 towards the mall. He made a right, and could see the mall in the distance. He accelerated even more, speeding off towards it.

The Middle Eastern man stood in the food court, looking around anxiously for any sign of the man his colleague told him to look out for. He was ready to give his life for his cause, and the bomb strapped to his chest would provide him with that opportunity. His phone rang, and he answered it.  
"Yes?"  
"It's me." It was his colleague.  
"What is it?"  
"There's been a change of plan. When Bauer arrives, I want you to run from him."  
"And why would you want me to do that?"  
"Because I need to see if he still has what it takes to keep up with me today. He's been through hell these past couple months."  
"No, we had a deal. You give me the means to show my faith in Allah, and in doing so I help you cause some disruption here today. You are starting to bend that deal."  
"I don't give a damn what I bend. If you don't run from him, I will send my operatives out to your home to massacre your family."  
The Middle Eastern man stood silent, contemplating the situation. Finally, he spoke.  
"Fine, I'll run. But not for long."  
"That's what I thought."  
His "colleague" hung up.

7:50:25

Michelle had just finished her triangulation on Jacks cell phone. She now had every word of all of the calls Jack had received today. She ran up to Davis' office with the news.  
"Sir, I have the text from the calls on Jacks phone," she said, out of breath.  
"What about the other thing I asked you to do?"  
"The security camera footage?"  
"Yes."  
"Both the text and the footage should be coming on your screen now."  
"Great work Michelle."   
Michelle walked out of the office, while Davis pulled up the text and footage on his computer. He decided to pull up the footage first. He watched as the footage cycled through, until he caught something of interest. The van had been there, like he knew it had. But he watched as a man entered and started it, pulling out of the CTU lot. The man made sure his face did not make it on camera during the act, and Davies realized right then that he now had another problem.

Mike Hammond was the last to get in the van that his team had gotten a hold of. He slid into the passenger seat and prepared to drive away from the bank ruins, when his cell phone rang. He answered it.  
"Hammond."   
"Mike, its John."  
"What have you got for me, Mr.Davis?"   
"Well, first off, somebody moved our van. I don't know where they took it, but they moved it nonetheless. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but we may have a serious problem here."  
"Figures. We cant just have one problem at a time. Did you find out where Jack is headed?"  
"Im looking at it now. I don't know who this person is who called him, but he seems to know Ja.....my god."   
"What is it?"  
"This person....we definitely have a huge problem here. We'll talk about it later. Jacks at the mall, get a bomb squad down there now."  
"A bomb squad?! What the hell is going on here?"  
"There's no time to explain. You have to go now!"

Jack proceeded down the escalator at the mall. He ran down it instead of waiting, enraging the people he plowed into. When he reached the bottom, he started to sprint, looking for any Middle Eastern person who looked suspicious. Seeing none as of yet, he began to think this search was hopeless. This bomb is going to go off, he thought. Then, he stopped himself. How dare he give up. He had never before, even in the face of insurmountable odds. He continued to push on, the clock ticking away on his time to find this man.

Chase Edmunds walked into CTU, looking around nervously for Kim. He saw Michelle first, and began to make his way towards her.  
"Chase?!," a voice called, clearly an angry one. He knew who it was before he even turned to see. When he did, he saw Kim standing there, an angry look on her face.  
"Kim....."  
"What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were going to stay home?!"  
"I can explain...."  
"I know you can, but it will just be bullshit. Wheres Angela?  
"Shes at home with Chloe," Chase said, and noticed Michelle was looking at them argue. He gave her a disappointed look.  
"I told you, I don't trust Chloe with our baby. I cant believe you did this Chase."  
"Its nothing personal, Kim. I just had to come in."  
"Why? You quit field-ops, what good can you do?"  
By now, everyone in CTU was watching them argue. Chase stared at Kim for a second, then walked off. Kim thought about going after him, but thought better of it and walked out the front door, not even bothering to punch out.

Jack stopped running to catch his breath, scanning his surroundings for any sign of the bomber. He saw him. He was in the food court, just standing there. Jack ran up to a wall that faced the court and ducked behind it, hoping the man didn't see him. After all, the last man detonated his bomb once he laid eyes on him. It was then that Jack realized what he would have to do. He would have to kill this man from this position, before he could hurt anyone. He couldn't risk it, the safest thing to do was to kill him. Jack pulled out his 9mm and attached a silencer to the barrel. He then peered around the corner of the wall and aimed. His finger slowly reached for the trigger. Once the finger made contact, he prepared to end this problem, when suddenly a hand shot out and slapped his gun to the ground. Jack looked up, and saw Mike Hammond standing before him.   
"Mike? What the hell are you doing here?"  
"Jack, I cant let you do that, you know that. We have to bring him in."  
"Are you dumb? If you approached him with a team he would just detonate the bomb."  
"He has a bomb? That's why Davis wanted the bomb squad."  
"Your bringing a bomb squad in here? Damnit!, Jack exclaimed. He gave a quick glance beyond the wall, and saw that the man had spotted him. He began to sprint, running through the food court and up another set of escalator stairs. Jack instantly took off sprinting, heading towards the escalator. Mike tried to keep up, his team in tow. They had shedded their SWAT- like gear, and now had their underclothes on. The people who were at the mall at this early time all stared, wondering what was going on. Jack aimed his gun upward at the man and fired, the shot clanging off the escalator railing. The man continued to run, convinced he hadn't ran enough yet. He reached the top of the escalator, and found himself on the top level, where a balcony overlooked the food court and ground floor of the mall. Mike screamed at Jack.  
"Jack! What are you doing? Stop firing, there are innocents here!"  
Jack didn't need to hear that. He was a good enough marksman to not hit the people around him, but he was also good enough to nail this bomber.

Kim Bauer pulled out of the CTU parking lot in her silver Geo Prism, headed back towards her apartment. She could not believe Chase had done this. She was going to let Chloe have it when she arrived there.

Chase sat behind his desk, thinking about his argument with Kim. It seemed like more and more each day they were getting into arguments. Maybe a little time away from each other would suit them both well.

John Davis was up in his office, analyzing the security video from the parking lot. He had already called Division, and they told him to watch the behavior of the people in CTU today. While moving a van was a minor infraction, if anything else strange were to pop up, they may be looking at a traitor amongst their ranks.

Jack continued to chase the bomber. The man was starting to slow he noticed, and Hammond was far behind him. Now was his chance to end this. Jack aimed the silenced pistol and fired, hitting the man in the shoulder. He stopped dead in his tracks and turned around, a shocked look on his face and a hand covering his shoulder, which was beginning to gush blood. The man now knew he had to finish what he knew he was put on this Earth to do. His finger hovered over the explosive, and Jack started running again. When he reached the man, he rammed his shoulder into him, careful not to hit the bomb. The man fell backward, smashing into a table. Jack lunged at him, but the man was prepared and swung a fist at Jack, which connected to his jaw. Jack fell back, stunned. The man attempted again to blow the bomb, but Jack grabbed him before he could and pulled him to his feet. But the bomber plowed forward, pushing Jack backward farther and farther. His back hit the railing of the balcony. Mike Hammond watched from the escalator as Jack Bauer and the bomber fell from the smashed balcony above, careening towards the food court below.

7:59:57  
7:59:58   
7:59:59  
8:00:00


	2. Chapter 2:Desperation

24: Deadly Game

The following takes place between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM.

Los Angeles Pine Springs Mall 

**8:00 AM**

Hammond hopped over the railing of the escalator and landed on the other one, the one that was heading downward. He began to sprint down it, as he watched Jack grab the bomber in mid-air and turn him so he would land first. Hammond, fearing that the bomb would detonate upon impact, turned around at the bottom of the escalator and yelled to the people around him:

"Get down! I'm a federal agent, there's a bomb, get down!"

People were screaming and frantically running away as Jack and the bomber landed with a loud thud on top of a table in the center of the food court.

Jack Bauer had squeezed his eyes shut, preparing himself for the bomb to blow. But when nothing happened, he opened them, and found himself staring into the dead face of the bomber. Jack could tell the fall had broken every bone in his body. He looked down at the bomb and found it was perfectly intact, and it was at no threat of going off. He sighed in relief, and rolled off the man, laying down on the ground with a smile on his face. It was then Hammond made his way over.

"Jack, are you ok?" he asked with concern.

"Ya, I'm fine. Get that bomb out of here, I don't want anything to happen."

"Sure thing. You sure you're alright?"

"Yes, but the same cant be said for him."

Jacks phone rang. He picked it up, knowing who it was. He laughed in defiance to the man on the other end.

"I played your little game and won, you son of a b!tch. Now all that's left is for me to bring you in."

"Who said this game was over, Jack? This day has been planned for years, and well planned at that. There are more activities for you to accomplish, its not over yet."

"Well, I say its over. Im not going to play this game, there are too many lives at stake."

"That's exactly why you will play the game, Jack. There is another suicide bomber at the corner of Taylor and Vine at this moment. He has been instructed to detonate his bomb in the Federal Building downtown in ten minutes. The same building that President John Keeler is giving his speech in today. You better hurry Jack, my man will be there soon." The line suddenly went dead. Jack instantly got up and began to run out of the mall again, with Hammond predictably in tow.

"Where are you going now?"

"Another threat has come in, I have to go."

"Let me come with you, I can help."

"No, you cant, you'll just be an annoyance. I have my own way of doing my job; you have yours. As you can see, they don't mesh well," Jack said with a gesture to the dead body of the bomber.

"You can't just leave me out."

"I just did," Jack said as he ran out of the front entrance, headed towards his car.

_8:06:34_

Kim Bauer entered her apartment, looking in all directions for a sign of Chloe and her child.

"Chloe! I know youre in here!", Kim said, making a right and entering the bedroom which her and Chase shared. When she entered she saw Angela on the bed, quietly playing with a stuffed teddy bear.

"Angela? What are you doing, hunny? Where's Chloe?," she asked, obviously not expecting a response. Kim ran back into the main area of the apartment, searching for Chloe. She soon realized Chloe wasn't even there. The anger she felt was beyond comprehension. How could Chloe just leave her baby home alone? For starters, it was against the law. What was she thinking? She decided she would go to Chloe's house and pay her a visit. She hoped she was there, so she could get out all the things she needed to say. She reentered the bedroom, and made a quick check on Angela to make sure she hadn't hurt herself while playing unsupervised. Then, Kim decided to change out of her work clothes before heading out to Chloe's, so she removed them and opened her closet, standing there in her bra and panties. She refused to believe what she found there. On the ground, splayed out, was Chloe O'Brian, her throat slit from ear to ear. Kim put her hand over her mouth and screamed, backing away from the closet.....and into the arms of an unknown man dressed in black. He removed a rag soaked in chloroform from his pocket and placed it over Kim's mouth and nose. Kim struggled to fight him off, trying to tear the rag from her face. But it was no use; the man was too strong. He wrapped his open arm around her waist and held her tight, further preventing her from fighting him off. Eventually, her hands fell to her sides and her head fell back against the unknown mans shoulder, signaling she had passed out. The man leaned forward to make sure she was out cold, and then lowered her limp body onto the bed beside Angela. It looked like the plan was going smoothly so far. He pulled out his cell and dialed a number.

"Its Rogan. The Bauer girl came home earlier than we thought. I have her here now, shes been subdued.

The man on the other end contemplated this for a moment.

"Has she been harmed?"

"No, she's just unconscious. Shall I bring her in now or later?"

"Well, I just sent her father to the Federal Building downtown. Stay there with her and wait for my signal. We may need her as insurance for a future activity."

"Alright," he said, hanging up the phone and looking over at the unconscious body of Kim Bauer lying on the bed. When he did bring her in, she would need clothes on if he wanted to pull it off going unnoticed. He opened her closet, searching for some clothes.

Chase was typing on his computer over at CTU when Director Davis approached.

"Edmunds, what the hell are you doing here? I thought you were on medical leave."

"I was sir, but I found out what was happening and I had to come in."

"No, you didn't _have_ to come in. What good can you do, your hand barely works, and you quit field-ops."

Chase was fuming. Kim had said almost the exact same thing, and he wasn't about to hear it from Davis too.

"Sir, go ahead and kick me out if you want to, but rest assured, I will work on this case. With you, or without you."

John thought about this for a moment. He didn't need another agent running wild like Bauer was right now.

"Fine, you can stay. But I'll be watching, you can bet on that," he said before walking back up to his office.

Jack raced through downtown, headed towards the Federal Building in his SUV. He thought about how he abruptly hung up on Kim earlier, and he felt bad for doing it. He decided he'd call her up quick and tell her there was nothing to worry about. That's what he always told her when there was something to worry about. It calmed her, and that was always a good thing. He hit her button and waited for her to pick up. Back at the apartment, Rogan was just about to put clothes on Kim when he heard a ring. He looked over at her discarded work clothes on the end of the bed and rummaged through them, looking for her phone. When he found it, he flipped it open and looked at who was calling. The display read "Dad". He smiled, realizing it was Jack Bauer on the line. He looked down at Kim, then shut the phone, disconnecting the call. Jack, back in his car, looked down at his phone. Why wasn't she answering? Did she turn off her phone? The Federal Building loomed in the distance, and he realized Kim would have to wait. Lives were at stake, and he had to save them.

**8:12:43**

**8:12:44**

**8:12:45**

**8:15:23**

**8:15:24**

**8:15:25**

Jack ran inside the Federal Building, knowing he only had minutes to go. He scanned the area, just like in the mall, looking for any threats. He saw none. Jack started to run again, right through the metal detector, which went off. He ignored it and the guard who began to scream at him. He quickly gave a glance to the wall- mounted guide to the building, and noticed the conference room where the President must have been giving his speech. It was located on the 12th floor, so he made his way to the elevators, which were around a bend. He pressed the button, waiting for it to descend. The guard who was yelling at him was gaining on him fast. The doors opened, and Jack hopped in as the guard rounded the bend and prepared to jump into the elevator. Jack hit the "close door" button, and the doors closed just in time. The elevator crawled to Jacks floor, and the doors opened. He leapt out, and ran right into the conference room, with President Keeler right in the middle of his speech. Jack slowed his speed, and scanned the room. It was then he saw a Middle Eastern man making his way right towards the stage the President was on. Jack began to make his way through the huge crowd of the media swarming the floor. He had to get to him before he could set off the bomb. Suddenly, a hand came out and grabbed Jacks stomach, stopping him from going any further.

"I'm sorry sir, you can't get any closer," the Secret Service man said.

"You don't understand, there is an immediate threat to the President, and its in this room as we speak," Jack replied with urgency.

"What are you talking about? Who are you?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "I'm Jack Bauer, from LA CTU. I don't have time for this."

"What the hell is CTU?"

"Counter Terrorist Unit. You have to let me through."

"Let me see some identification."

Jack knew he now had to take action. He elbowed the man in the mouth and jumped up onto the stage, causing a huge amount of confusion to break out. He began to sprint towards President Keeler, who stood there with a confused look on his face. The Secret Service all converged on him, attempting to surround him from all sides, which would effectively cut him off from Jack. He still ran at the mass of humanity, and gave a quick glance to the bomber in the crowd. He had parted his jacket, and was looking down at the device on his chest. Jack pulled out his silenced 9mm and aimed, about to fire when a Secret Service man tackled him down.

"Noooo!." Jack yelled, realizing what was about to happen. He had to get up. He nailed the man on top of him in the "privates" and got up, taking aim yet again. This time, a swarm of men grabbed him, pulling him off the stage.

"There's a bomb, the president is in danger damnit!," he yelled as they dragged him back. The bomber smiled, and hit the button on his chest. Confetti fell from the ceiling, as well as balloons. Jack looked on in shock. It was all a set-up to make him look bad, and he had fallen for it. The Secret Service dragged him through a door on the side of the stage, leading Jack Bauer to his fate.

Chase stood up from his second desk in his upper office and pulled out his cell phone, calling Kim. He waited for her to answer, but she didn't. He hung up the phone. She must be avoiding his calls. He threw the cell phone across the room, and then paused, looking down at a picture of him and Kim on his desk. He reflected on their relationship, how he didn't want it to end over something as trivial as this. In frustration, he picked up the picture and threw it also. It hit the wall, and it smashed all over the place. If she wanted to end it, it would be a damn shame but at this point, he was all for it.

Mark Rogan strolled around the apartment, looking at certain objects that may be of interest. He had left Kim on the bed, she would be down for awhile. His phone rang, and knowing who it was, he picked it up.

"I'm guessing you want me to move her now?"

"Yes, bring her here."

"There? Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure. Is she still unconscious?"

"Ya."

"Make sure she stays that way. I don't want her to see where she's going."

"Alright."

Rogan hung up and went back into the bedroom. He picked Kim up and slung her over his shoulder. Angela was still playing on the bed, oblivious to what was going on. He gave a quick glance to the baby, then walked off, leaving her alone.

Jack was seated in a chair in the center of a makeshift interrogation room inside the Federal Building. They were sweating him for right now, and he knew it. The door swung open, and a man in a suit entered.

"Mr. Bauer, we did a background check on you and we confirmed that you do indeed work for the LA Counter Terrorist Unit. But in that background check, we also found out that you have a history of insubordination and a habit for getting yourself on police records."

"I had good information that there was a man in this building that posed an immediate threat to the President. I did what I had to do to ensure that didn't happen."

"Mr. Bauer, nothing happened. Confetti and balloons came down. If you consider that a threat, then maybe I should call a shrink."

"I had a shrink once, after my wife died. Guess what I did? I punched him in the mouth. If you keep going like this, you might need a doctor very soon."

"I don't respond to threats, Mr. Bauer. Your boss would like to speak with you," he said, producing an open cell phone and handing it to Jack. He took it, and put it to his ear. Davis called his name from the phone.

"Jack?"

"John, you gotta get me out of here."

"Not until you tell me what's going on. I have the text off all of the phone calls you have been receiving. Who is this guy?"

"I don't know. I went to the mall and stopped that bomber; he told me there was one here and I came. All I found here was a set-up. He wanted me to look bad, obviously."

"Well, he succeeded. I got Division riding up my a$s, and Mike wants to know what the hell is going on. I'll inform these men to let you go, but you have to come back to CTU. If this guy calls again, I want to set up a trace."

"Alright. What if he calls while on my way there?"

"I don't know. Just try to get here as fast as you can."

**8:26:34**

**8:26:35**

**8:26:36**

**8:32:45**

**8:32:46**

**8:32:47**

Rogan drove towards the building he was told to bring Kim to. She was laying down in the backseat, still under from the chloroform. He had a feeling this plan would work. Kim had been kidnapped before, along with Jacks then-alive wife, Terri. He didn't know by whom, but the files he had access to told him that much. That plan went sour because of bad preparation. This one was planned for years, and that would only add to its success. He heard a groan from the backseat and saw that Kim was waking up. She opened her eyes and tried to sit up. It was then he remembered what his boss had said about her not being able to see where she was going or how she got there. That could lead to more problems, and they had no time for those. He pulled the car into an abandoned parking lot nearby and got out, opening up the backside door. Kim instantly kicked at him, screaming her head off. He should have tied her up. She tried to lunge out of the car, but Rogan pushed her back in. He pulled out the chloroform bottle again, but Kim kicked it out of his hands. It hit the pavement outside, and spilled all over the place. He decided he would have to do this the old fashioned way. He wound up and punched Kim right in the face. She fell back down, and was still.

Jack walked out of the Federal Building. He looked at his watch. It was amazing how much he'd been through already today and it was only 8:30! He headed towards his car when he heard a familiar sound. Pfft! It sounded like a bullet being fired out of a silenced gun. But it couldn't be, who would be shooting at him? Then, he heard it again. This time, the drivers side window of his SUV shattered after the sound. Someone was definitely shooting at him. He pulled out his own silenced pistol and took cover behind his car. Bullets were now raining down on him from an unknown location. He pulled open the passenger side door and jumped in, hopping into the drivers seat. He put the keys in the ignition as bullets shot through the windows. The car started, and it screeched out of the Federal Building parking lot. He was now on the main road that went through the heart of the city. Sunlight glanced off of the buildings and into the car as he pulled out his cell phone and began to dial CTU. Just then, it rang. He answered it hesitantly.

"Guess who Jack."

"Who was just shooting at me?"

"Just a little twist to add to our game. He's well funded, from overseas. The best there is actually."

"You have an assassin after me now?"

"Exactly. I felt this was becoming too easy, so I felt that I needed to add in a little distraction. Don't worry, he won't go in for the kill yet. That's why he missed you before. I instructed him to not hit you."

"You set me up at the Federal Building. You wanted me to look bad, didn't you?"

"Oh, you didn't like that activity? I had to go through a lot of trouble to do that, you know."

"You want to discredit me. Why?"

"Because I want you to suffer. Just like I suffered years ago, and am still even now."

"You said before I used to know you very well. From where?"

"That all comes in due time, Jack. Lets not jump ahead. Enjoy the game while it lasts. By the way, I have a little surprise for you."

"And what is that?"

"Your daughter...."

Jack's face turned into a mask of pain. He knew what was happening. They had her.

"What are you talking about?"

"She is quite beautiful Jack. Or so I hear."

"You piece of sh!t. What have you done?

"She is unharmed, and will remain that way if you do as I say."

They had gotten to his family again. He thought he could prevent it, by having Kim work at CTU. But, with this job, anything could happen. How did they get her at CTU? How was that possible?

"You're bluffing."

"I assure you, I am not."

Just then, Rogan busted into the building his boss was in, with Kim slung over his shoulder. The man on the phone with Jack smiled.

"Ah, here she is now. Put her in that chair."

Rogan lowered her into a nearby chair and began to tie her up.

"Here, Jack. Let me send you something."

The man held his phone out in front of him and took a picture of Kim slumped over in the chair. He then sent it to Jack. Jack pulled his car off to the side of the road and examined the photo. He hung his head down, knowing now that he had to do what this man wanted him to do.

"What's wrong with her?"

"She's just unconscious, Jack. Nothing that will last."

"You son of a b!itch! If you harm her..."

"What will you do, Jack. Yell me to death?"

Jack hesitated, before saying: "What do you want me to do?"

"I like how you cut straight to the chase, Jack. You're a real go-to guy. I always liked that about you."

"Shut up and tell me."

"Quite simply, I want you to plant a bomb, Jack.

"You cant be serious."

"I am quite serious, Jack. First, you will plant one at CTU. I realize its been bombed before, but this charge is extra strong, so it should work very nicely. I have many men on the inside, CTU staff that will assist you. But you have to be the one to pull the trigger."

Jack sat in silence. How had it come to this? There were moles in CTU? How bad could this possibly get? He couldn't bear to kill all of those innocent employees, especially after Ryan Chappelle.

"Are you still there Jack?"  
"Ya, I'm here. May I ask why?"

"Why I want you to do this? Because it makes an impact, Jack. Plus, I want to see you in jail."

"Well, I have to go there now. I told my boss I'd go there."

"If you try anything, I will kill her. I won't hesitate."

"Nothing will happen."

"It better not. Don't jump the gun yet, either. You will set the charge when I say so. After CTU, I want you to go to the parking lot of the Coliseum and meet a man I have there. I bet you'll recognize him. I'll be in touch."

The man hung up, and so did Jack. He hated himself for what he knew he was about to do, but he had his daughter. She was the most important thing in his life. Not even Kate held as much for him as Kim. He headed on towards CTU, not knowing what will happen next.

Chase walked the floor of CTU, pretty much wandering aimlessly. He wanted it to look like he was doing something. Up in the upper offices, Davis was still analyzing the security camera video of the unknown figure moving the Field-Ops van. Who was this guy? He had already zoomed in to the fullest degree, but still found nothing but an obscured face. Maybe Chase could help him out here, seeing as he was doing nothing special now. He exited the office, and called own to him.

"Chase! Come here for a sec!"

Chase looked up, nodded his head, and made his way up the stairs to Davis' office. He entered.

"I got this video here, the security camera one, and I cant get a lock on this face. Can you help me?"

"Ya, I'll have to run an amplification modulator," he said, walking up to the laptop on Davis' desk.

"Be my guest."

"It'll take time."

"How long?"

"Two hours, at the most."

"Alright, guess I'll be waiting. Alert me when it's finished."

"Sure thing."

Davis walked out, leaving Chase alone. The more he thought about it, he really should go meet Kim at the apartment. He thought he wanted to end it earlier, but the more he thought about it, he loved Kim with everything he had. She was always there. It was then he made up his mind. He would begin the modulation, then head over to the apartment.

Rogan swiped the smelling salts under Kims nose. She stirred, and put up her head. She had a dazed and confused look on her face. Rogan began to speak.

"Do not scream. If you do, I will be forced to knock you out again, and I doubt you want that."

"Where am I? What do you want?"

A man was standing off in shadow, leaning against a chair. He spoke.

"All in due time, Kim. I have your father on a special assignment for me. He's been given an ultimatum, which he is in the process of meeting. If he fails in any way, tho, you die."

"You bastrd. What are you making him do?"

"Don't worry your pretty little head. I have you, so he'll do whatever I want. You'll remain unharmed during all of this because of that. When his deeds are done, I'll release you."

"You better hope he dosen't find you first."

Jack pulled into the familiar CTU parking lot. He couldent help but wonder what that parking lot would look like covered in rubble, seeing as the bomb he was going to use would have those effects. It seemed like this could not be happening, that it was impossible for all of these things to be happening all at once. But it was real. He would have to bomb his workplace, filled with his friends and co-workers, if he wanted his daughter alive and well. Right now his main concern was trying to maintain a natural look as he entered the building. He walked up the ramp and went through the double glass doors leading inside. He walked past the security guard, Paul Shaffer, and gave him a trying-to-be-casual wave. He then swiped his access card through the slot and entered the main room. The floor was bustling with activity, as usual. He strode across and saw Chase sitting at his desk, getting ready to leave. He gave him a wave, and Chase returned it. Jack saw John up in his office and walked up the stairs, making a right and opening the glass door to his office. John rose to greet him.

"Did he call you on the way here?"

Jack didn't say anything for a second, but then responded, "No."

"Well, when he does, we want you well prepared. I decided to bring in Jeffries."

Jack sighed. Jeffries was the "tech-nerd" of CTU. He was responsible for creating and developing new gadgets and technology for Field-Ops. Davis continued, "He should be here...right now."

Jeffries walked in right at that moment with a huge briefcase in his hands. He was pretty much dragging it with him.

"Franky, what do ya got for our man Jack here?"

Frank Jeffries had a lab coat on with khaki's and he wore wire-frame glasses on his face.

"Well, sir, where shall I begin?"

Jack rolled his eyes. He didn't have time for this. Jeffries opened the briefcase and produced a PDA- like device.

"First off, Jack, we got the standard issue Field-Ops PDA. It can hold loads of information, and it will categorize it as it sees fit. I also added in a special feature."

Jeffries pushed a small button on the side, and a short nozzle popped out. Jeffries explained this, "It can shoot out a fast acting tranquilizer dart also, capable of knocking out a human being for 3 hours or less. Just hit the button again to shoot out the dart."

Jack wasen't impressed. "That's great. John, I need to go here. Theres no telling...."

"Hold on Jack. Lets see what else he's got."

Jeffries started rapidly pulling out things, sensing Jack's urgency. "We got a grapple gun, which will allow you to climb up and down walls. We also have several coin grenades, which are exactly as they sound: grenades disguised as coins. Finally, we have a special new gun for you, Mr. Bauer. It looks like a standard issue USP on the outside, but on the inside it's something entirely different. It's capable of shooting out regular bullets, and special bullets designed by who else? Me, of course. These bullets are filled with a special nerve toxin that will freeze the muscles of your target upon impact."

Jack stood there for a second, staring. Then, he walked up to Jeffries and grabbed all of the gadgets, attaching them to his clothing.

"Thanks, see ya guys later," Jack said, walking out and closing the door behind him.

Davis did not approve of Jack's hast exit, and ran after him.

"Hold on Jack! Where are you going?"

"I have to be ready when he calls next, you said so yourself," Jack said as he continued to walk away.

"You can be ready here Jack. Where do you have to go?"

Jack had already walked out of earshot. Davis stared at him leave for a second, then turned back to his office, seeing Jeffries leaving as he did so. He picked up his phone and called Hammond.

"Hello?"

"Mike, it's John. Where are you?"

"I'm in the parking lot. Why?"

"Great. Jack is leaving now, I want you to follow him and report back to me exactly where he goes and what he does."

"May I ask what's going on?"

"I'll tell you later, just do it."

Davis hung up and went back to his laptop, checking the progress of the amplification modulation of the security video.

Hammond put his phone down and looked at the main entrance from his car, a black pickup. Jack walked out, still dressed in his dusty black polo and ripped khaki's. He entered his SUV and drove off. Hammond waited for the right distance to come between them, and he drove off.

**8:54:17**

**8:54:18**

**8:54:19**

**8:57:25**

**8:57:26**

**8:57:27**

Jack pulled up to the Coliseum and got out of his car as soon as he stopped it. He scanned the area, and found there was another car parked further down the lot. He cautiously walked over. He saw a man leaning against his car, a sleek Viper. He was smoking a cigarette, looking off at the Coliseum in front of him. Jack came close enough to see who it was, and he stopped dead in his tracks. It was Martin Belkin, the man who had tried to assassinate Senator David Palmer at his breakfast at the power plant many years before. The man on the phone said he would know who he met here, and he surely did. Belkin looked over and gave Jack a sly grin. He turned around and opened the trunk, revealing a briefcase inside.

"Jack, how have you been?"

"Give me the explosive."

"Hold on, hold on," he said as he pulled out the briefcase. He opened it, showing Jack the contents.

Jack hesitated before saying, "How do I blow it?"

"Pull out the bomb itself, place it on the desired object, and hit this button. The countdown will begin instantly. You will have five minutes to get out before the building goes up."

Jack took the briefcase and began to walk away, but Belkin stopped him.

"Wait a minute, Jack. Take this, too."

"What is this?"

"If you open it before the man on the phone tells you to do so, he will kill your daughter," he said as he pulled another case out of the trunk.

"What is it?"

"If I told you, that would ruin all the fun Jack. We'll be in touch. By the way, that assassin that was hired, he has been instructed to try to kill you now. No more false shots. Have a nice day," Belkin said as he entered his car and started the engine. Jack stood there, watching him go. It had hit him now that he would have to do this. There was no other real alternative. He headed back to his car, headed back towards CTU.

Hammond had seen everything that transpired at the meet between Jack and the man. With binoculars, he was able to identify the device in the briefcase as a high amount of C-4 plastic explosive. Why the hell was Jack getting this stuff? What was in the other case? He had to find out what was going on.

Chase was on his way back to the apartment; ready to apologize if need be. Kim and Chase were in a solidified relationship. Who was he kidding before when he wanted to break it off? Hopefully she would accept his apology.

Davis had his hand on his phone, ready to pick it up when Hammond called. He had waited for this day for a long time; a chance to bring down Bauer. Deep down, he never really liked him. Now was his chance to end him.

Hammond saw Jack pull into a parking lot suddenly. He had no clue why, but he did. He also could not see him anymore, so he decided it was safe to pull into the parking lot himself. He stopped the car, and looked for any sign of Jack. He saw none. Suddenly, he heard an engine roar alive, and he saw a black SUV shooting towards the left side of the car. His side. He looked behind the wheel of the SUV and saw Jack behind it. "That son of a b!tch", was Hammond's final thought before the SUV slammed into his car, shooting everything into blackness.

**8:59:57**

**8:59:58**

**8:59:59**

**9:00:00**


	3. Chapter 3:The Choice

24:Deadly Game

The following takes place between 9:00 AM and 10:00AM.

Jack Bauer exited his SUV and looked out at the wreckage before him. Hammond was slumped over in the drivers' seat of his pickup, a nasty gash running across his forehead. He started to stir, so Jack pulled out his USP. The bottom of the gun was very thick, so two clips could fit inside. One clip was regular bullets, while the other were the special nerve toxin ones. Jack flicked a switch on the gun, switching over to the nerve bullets. He pointed the gun at the groggy Hammond. Jack was the first to speak.

"Don't move Mike!"

Hammond looked up and spoke very slowly, "What the hell are you doing, Jack?"

"They have Kim, Mike. I have to do this, or they'll kill her."

"Do what? What do you have to do?"

Jack sighed, aimed, and fired. A small dart shot out of the gun and struck Hammond in the right shoulder. His body began to twitch, and Hammond looked at Jack with a look of being betrayed. His mentor had turned on him, and it hurt like hell. When the twitching stopped, he found he could not move a muscle, even if he wanted to. He began to scream at Jack.

"Jack, you son of a b!itch! How could you do this? Jack! Jaaaccck!," he yelled as Jack walked back into his car, pulled back from the wreckage, and drove on toward his objective.

Davis picked up his phone and dialed Hammonds cell. It started to ring, and it continued to do so. Why the hell wasn't he answering? He slammed down the phone, frustrated. This was his one chance to nail Jack Bauer, and it looked like it was going down the drain.

Chase entered his apartment slowly after noticing that the door was ajar. Kim always locked the door, why hadn't she done so today? He looked around the main hallway, the looked into the bedroom. On the bed was Angela, playing by herself. Where was Chloe? Chase looked behind him, into the open closet. On the floor was the dead body of Chloe, her throat slit all the way across. Chase gasped and fell back onto the bed in shock. It was then he began to put the pieces together. There were signs of a struggle. The lamp had fallen over on the dresser, and Kim's work clothes were crumpled up on the floor. There was also a strange smell in the air. It smelled like chloroform. My God, he thought, what had happened to Kim?

_9:05:23_

Jack was speeding down the street when his cell phone rang. He plucked it out of his pocket and looked to see who it was. It was Kate. My God, he thought. He had forgotten all about her. He had left her in bed earlier; she must be worried about him. He answered the phone.

"Hey Kate."

"Hi honey. Where did you go?"

"I had to go into work, it was urgent. It was about that bombing today at the bank."

"Oh, when will you be back?"

"I don't know yet. Won't be too long," Jack lied.

"Ok, I'll be waiting," Kate said with a smile. "I love you, Jack."

Jack hesitated for a moment before saying, "I love you too."

He hung up and increased speed, heading on towards CTU. In a way, he dreaded when he was to arrive there. How would he do this? How could he do this? Jack shook his head, trying to clear those thoughts away.

Southern Tajikistan Middle East 

Sand blew around the small town in Southern Tajikistan. A storm was brewing on the horizon; a sandstorm that would swipe over the region very soon. This did not bother Jalil Hamat, who strode through the center of town, brushing past several people walking in his direction. Jalil had dark skin and a fair build, and was wearing sophisticated clothes that looked out of place with the people around him. He was headed towards a building that would be coming up on his right very soon. It was hard to see in the blowing sand, but he eventually made it there. He knocked on the front door of a very dingy building and waited for a response. The door opened a crack, and he saw a pair of eyes peeking out at him. The eye man spoke.

"Yes?"

"I'm here to speak with Kahal. He called me here on a matter of high importance."

"Are you Jalil?"

"Yes."

"Come in," the eye man said as he opened the door fully. Jalil entered the dark building, and the eye man closed the door behind him. Jalil looked around and saw a flight of stairs leading upward. The man ushered him towards these.

"Right this way."

Jalil followed him as they ascended the stairwell. When they reached the top, his guide made a right and walked down a dark hallway. There was a slightly ajar door on the left, which the guide knocked on. He called trough the crack.

"Kahal, Jalil is here to speak with you. He says you have an appointment."

A voice called from inside, "Yes, let him in."

The guide put his arm out, as if to permit Jalil to enter, and he did just that. He pushed the door open and entered. A man was seated in a chair, his back to Jalil. The chair was facing the open window, and the man was looking out it. Jalil slowly approached the chair.

"Kahal, you asked me here?"

The man spoke, still facing the window.

"Yes, Jalil, I did. You are aware of the situation currently going on in Los Angeles?"

"I am."

"Well, two of our men have gone down already. One from his own bomb, which I am very proud of, and the other from the incomparable Jack Bauer."

"Ah, he's meddling in our affairs again, I see."

"He ruined our nuclear bomb plot 4 years ago. We supplied it to our Second Wave friends in Los Angeles. We wont make that mistake again. Today will go down as our proudest day. We have a more dependable man in Los Angeles now that we can easily work with."

"From what I heard, Kahal, he is playing games with Bauer."

"Yes, I know. That was part of our deal. He gets to have his fun with Bauer now, while our "main event" comes later."

"Where is the device now?"

"It's about to head off to Los Angeles, my friend. When it arrives, I will instruct our man to take the plan to it's second phase. As a matter of fact, I scheduled to call him at 9:30 their time. I called you here to ask you if you would like to join this effort, and to give Allah the show of thanks he rightfully deserves."

Jalil stood for a moment, thinking this over. "My family must be left out of this."

"Of course, my friend, of course."

"Than we are together, side by side," Jalil said as he approached Kahal and put his hand on his shoulder. Kahal put his hand up on Jalil's and they shook, now together in this plan.

Chase exited the apartment in a sweat. He was now very worried. Kim could be in trouble. He whipped out his cell and punched in Davis' number. When he picked up, Chase spoke first.

"John, we got a problem."

"What is it now?"

"Kim is gone. I have no clue where she is."

"I thought she was still here."

"No, we had an argument and she walked out. I thought she came back to our apartment, so I came here to apologize and she's gone."

"So, she could have gone somewhere else."

"No, John, when I came back Angela was here. Left home alone. Kim would never do that. Plus, there was a heavy smell of chloroform in the air," Chase said as he entered his own SUV and drove off.

"Well, what do you want me to do Chase? I got major problems here myself. Bauer is off doing god knows what, and we may have a possible mole here, so find a way to deal with this yourself."

"How could you say that? Her life could be at stake!"

"As I said, find a way to deal with it yourself."

Davis hung up, and Chase threw his phone onto the seat beside him.

"Damnit!"

**9:12:43**

**9:12:44**

**9:12:45**

**9:17:34**

**9:17:35**

**9:17:36**

Jack pulled into the CTU parking lot, his heart beating rapidly. The time had come. The question now was: could he do it? His phone rang and he picked it up. The familiar voice spoke first.

"Ah, Jack. I see you have arrived at CTU."

"How do you know that?"

"Oh, I know lots of things. You have my permission now to plant the bomb. Do I need to remind you what will happen if you don't?"

Jack stayed silent.

"I take your silence means you understand. Place it in the transformer room. Expect a call when the deed is done."

The man hung up. Jack sat in silence for a second, then pulled the car around to the back of the building. He picked up the briefcase with the bomb inside and got out, looking up at the roof. It wasn't too far up, so his plan would work. Before he did anything, though, he realized that it was not too late to back out. But he realized if he did, his only daughter, his Kim, would die a horrible death at the hands of this man. Jack then resigned himself to his decision reluctantly, and pulled out the grapple gun he got from Jeffries. He couldn't just walk in to CTU through the front if he wanted to get away with this without going to jail. He would have to take an alternate way, and that way was the roof. He aimed the gun upward and pulled the trigger. A long hypertension rope shot out with a hook attached to the end, and the hook eventually attached itself to the roof. Jack tugged back on the gun, making sure it was secure. When he was satisfied, he depressed a button on the gun and held on tightly as he began to raise upward. It was amazing how Jeffries made this stuff. His inventions helped many field - ops agents around the world. But if he died in this explosion, he couldn't help anybody anymore. Actually, many valuable people would die if this bomb were to explode. He tried to blot that out of his head however, as he reached the roof. He put his hand on the railing at the top and pulled himself up. He landed on the roof, then detached the hook from the roofs edge and put the grapple gun back on his belt. There was a door on the roof that led down to the back of CTU. He would use that to gain access. When he approached the door and tried to open it, he realized it was locked. He walked backward, then plowed forward with his right shoulder and rammed it open. Then Jack began to descend the stairwell into the bowels of CTU.

Davis sat in front of his laptop, still waiting for the amplification to complete. It was taking too damn long, he thought. He was sick of waiting, so he pushed away from his desk and got up, crossing the room to the glass door. He exited, and walked down the stairs back to the floor. He saw Michelle walk in front of him and he stopped her.

"Hey, can you take over for me for a little bit? I can't get hold of Hammond, and I'm starting to get worried?"

"Ya, no problem. Why are you worried, though?"

"I sent him to look after Jack. He was supposed to give me frequent updates, but he hasn't called in even once yet."

"Ok, just send me over all the things on your system."

"Sure thing," Davis said as he went back upstairs. If he were to look down at that precise moment, he would have seen Jack Bauer peek out from the darkness of the hallway next to the stairs. He was looking out at the main floor, scanning the room to see who was in the building. He was sweating uncontrollably under the pressure of the situation. All of these people would die in this explosion, every one of them. He shook his head, and turned around, heading towards the room he had to plant the bomb in. Ironically, it was the room his wife had died in years earlier. He opened the door that led to the hallway, and he walked down it, looking to his right for the room. He spotted it, and walked inside. It was dark, as usual, which suited him well. He walked over to the wall, and put the briefcase on the ground, opening it. He looked at the bomb for a moment, then pulled it out of the casing. He placed it on the wall, where it stuck do to the adhesive on the back of the device. He pushed down a button, and watched as a red display appeared and began to blink. He had five minutes to get out. The device beeped rhythmically, and Jack turned around and walked out. He headed back towards the stairs he came in through.

_9:25:35_

The man dressed all in black positioned himself on the roof of a building across the street from CTU. From this vantage point, he would have a perfect shot. He opened his duffel bag he had slung over his shoulder and began to assemble his sniper rifle. It was a very meticulous process, and he had to be sure he did it correctly or there would be some serious consequences. His orders were to kill this man, this Jack Bauer. He had been hired to do it, and was going to get a hefty sum when he was finished. But he had to be sure he didn't screw up. Bauer was a very capable agent. He wasn't going to be a pushover. The rifle was now assembled, so he aimed it toward the back of CTU, where Bauer would be appearing in just moments.

Michelle Dessler was ready to take over as Director of CTU for a few hours while John was gone. She had done it before, when Tony was here. Her Tony.....she stopped herself. She couldn't think about that. It would only depress her further. She headed toward the transformer room; that dreaded room where many things have happened. She heard that Jack's wife had died in that room. That also was the room that Nina Myers was killed in. That had a slight bit of irony to it, seeing as she was the person that killed Jacks wife. She pushed open the door, and walked in. There was a computer in there she needed to get to. She saw it in the center of the room. This computer had information on it that only the Director of CTU could access. If she was going to take over, she would have to be updated, and this computer would help to update her. She approached it, and that was when she noticed the bomb. She froze in terror, unable to move.

Jack was on the roof. He pulled out his grapple and shot it at the roof's edge, and lept off, the cable eventually going taut. When it did, he was able to walk down the side of the building the rest of the way. He reached the ground, them turned around and looked back at the building. He had saved his daughter, but there was an empty feeling left inside him instead of a feeling of accomplishment. All of those people dead. People he knew. Who was he kidding? He could not do this, no matter what was at stake. He could not sacrifice these people for just one life, even if that life was his daughters. Jack had now made up his mind. He began to sprint back around the building, to the front. There was only seconds left, he knew. Seconds to save those lives. Seconds to correct an unpardonable sin.

Michelle was still in the transformer room, attempting to yell out, but finding herself unable to do so. She was absolutely terrified.

Jack ran through the front doors, screaming.

"There's a bomb, get out of the building!," he screamed. The security guard behind the desk stared at Jack in confusion.

"Jack? What are you talking about?"

"Theres a bomb, Paul! Let me in!"

Paul had no choice but to comply, if what he was saying is true. That was when he heard a thunderous boom.

Davis was right at the door when the bomb exploded. He was expecting it, due to what his employer had told him. He cursed at himself for not leaving earlier. He began to sprint out of the building, passing by Jack and Paul in the front lobby. They didn't even see him go by. They both stood staring in horror at what was happening. The entire main room was going up in a ball of flame, and it was spreading to the lobby. John got out just in time before the whole building went up. The force of the explosion shot him through the glass doors and rolling down the front ramp. When he landed in the parking lot, he looked to his left and saw Jack had been flung out as well. But he wasn't in such good shape. He had a bloody gash down his face, and looked to be unconscious. Davis got up and limped towards his car, leaving the shell of CTU behind him.

**9:32:21**

**9:32:22**

**9:32:23**

**9:39:32**

**9:39:33**

**9:39:34**

His cell rang, and the man who was playing games with Jack Bauer answered.

"Yes?"

"It's Kahal."

"Ahh, Kahal, how are you my friend?"

"Let's dispense with the pleasantries. The device is due to arrive at eleven. Be ready for it at the dockyards, pier 23."

"Understood. When should I make the call to the authorities?"

"After you secure the device."

"Sounds good."

Kahal disconnected, and so did the man.

Jack slowly opened his eyes. He knew what had happened. They were all dead. All of them. He got to his knees and looked up at the flaming wreckage before him. He had caused this, it was all his fault. He had failed them all. Tears began to stream down his face as the full force of the disaster hit him. That was when he heard a shot go right by his head. It never ends, does it? He got up, putting his hands behind his head. That was it. Whoever was shooting at him, he would let them kill him. He had had enough. He had caused enough pain and suffering, it was time for him to be put out of his misery.

The man on the roof saw Jack run around to the front before, and had to run fast to position himself on top of the building across from the front. Now he had Jack squarely in his sights. He aimed right at his head, and his finger hovered over the trigger. But he stopped. There was no challenge in this. He was letting him kill him. There was no fun in that. Unacceptable, the man thought. He pulled out his phone and dialed his employers number.

The man sat in the warehouse, staring at Kim, who was still strapped down to her chair. Maybe he could have a little fun with her before he let her go. Rogan was out of the room, so he could get away with it. Then his phone rang. He looked to see who it was, and it read "Johnathan", who was also known as Martin Belkin in some circles. There must be a problem, he thought. He answered.

"What is it now?"

"We have a problem, Max. You said you wanted me to hunt Bauer, correct? Play with his mind, then kill him?"

"Yes."

"Well, he's letting me kill him. He has his hands on his head, waiting for me to shoot him. He knows I'm here."

"Alright, I'll take care of it."

Max hung up and walked into the light, revealing the man who was behind the nuclear bomb some years ago. He is looking a little bit older now, but has retained his youthful vigor. He pulls a switchblade out of his pocket and approaches Kim, who is still tied down. He also pulls out his phone, and dials Bauer's number.

Jack was still standing with his hands on his head, defeated. His phone rang; he knew who it was. There was no point in answering, he thought. But then he thought of Kim. He reached inside his jacket and picked up the phone.

"Jack? It's me again."

"I give up, you win."

"Im surprised Jack. Since when does the almighty Jack Bauer give up? Sorry to inform you Jack, but you wont have that luxury now. I have a knife to your daughters' throat as we speak, and I will drag it all the way across her face if you don't continue playing my game."

Jack sat in silence.

"Do you care, Jack? Because I will do this. I damn well will."

"Fine, I'll run. If she is harmed in any way though, rest assurred, I will kill you."

"That's very nice Jack. Now go!"

Jack hung up and ran around the back of the building, towards his car. Johnathan, meanwhile, saw this and leapt off of the low roof, landing on the top of his red pickup. He jumped into the drivers seat and drove off, in pursuit of Jack.

_9:46:54_

Chase was pulling into CTU's parking lot when he saw the huge plume of smoke rising up into the sky. When he reached the parking lot, he saw the flaming mess that used to be his workplace. At first he was in complete shock, sitting there in his car, his mouth wide open. Then he finally worked up the strength to exit his car and approach the building. He heard faint screams coming from under the wreckage. He had to help them. He sprinted towards the ruins, and began to pull away pieces of the building, trying to get to the source of the screams.

Jack was racing down the highway, going at least 90. He knew this killer was on his tail, and that he would not stop until he was dead. Now that Jack had begun running again, the man would now go in for the kill, no question. Jack looked at his rearview and saw the killer's red pickup, the one that had been following him all this time. That was when the idea struck him. Jack whipped out his USP, and flicked it over to real bullets. He was going to nail this son of a b!tch, and he was going to do it for all the people at CTU, and for his daughter. Jack increased his speed even more, sharply turned the wheel to the left, and sent the car into a 180 spin right in the middle of the highway. He put his gun out the window and began to shoot off rounds at the killer, who he now saw was the man he knew as Martin Belkin. Cars around him all swerved to get out of the way of the two vehicles. Martin had pulled out his own handgun and was shooting at Jack as well. Rounds shattered both of their windshields, the glass shooting all over the highway. Jack was now coming straight at Belkin, and they both slammed into each other. The collision seemed to have a sticking effect on the cars, as they both were stuck together at their fronts. Both cars shot off of the highway and through a high metal fence at the bottom. The cars then went straight down a hill, causing Belkin's car to flip over and over again as it tumbled down the hill. Jack's stayed upright miraculously. Finally, Belkin's car came to rest at the bottom of the hill. Jack's car was still coming down, however, and it slammed into Belkin's. The car flipped once more, while Jack's car came to rest close by. Silence overtook the area, as no movement could be seen from both cars. Then, the door to Jack's car flung open, and he stumbled out. He still had the USP clutched in his right hand, on his way to Belkin's car. When he reached it, he aimed the gun at the drivers side door, which was twisted and hanging off of the side of the car.

"Belkin! Stay down, or I will kill you!"

It was then Jack realized that the car was empty. Suddenly, a shot rang out, striking a tree beside him. Belkin must have jumped out of the vehicle before it started flipping. He was now running down the hill, shooting off rounds at Jack. Jack dived behind a nearby tree as more shots went off around him. Jack poked his head out and fired at Belkin, seeing his shots bounce off of the dirty ground all around him. Belkin got behind his flaming, upside down car and pulled a grenade out of his pocket. He pulled the top off with his teeth and threw it at the tree Jack was behind. Jack saw it land beside him.

"Oh sh!t."

Jack sprang up and ran to some boulders nearby. The grenade exploded, turning the tree into burning ambers. Belkin pulled out another handgun and began to shoot both of them off at Jack. He stopped for a moment.

"You can't escape this Jack. I do this for a living!", Belkin yelled.

"And I kill scumbags like you for a living!," Jack yelled back.

He then shot up and began to shoot at Belkin again, this time running at him as he did so. He had turned reckless, and was determined to end this now. Belkin put on a look of shock and he began to run away, shooting as he did so. Shockingly, none of his shots hit Jack. Jack leapt over Belkin's car and tackled him to the ground, aiming his gun at his skull. Belkin was now on the ground, with Jack on top of him. Belkin elbowed Jack in the stomach, and he fell off of Belkin, holding his chest in pain. Belkin had dropped his guns when Jack tackled him, so he reached out and grabbed Jack's fallen gun. He aimed it at Jacks head.

"Ah, it looks like I have the advantage now Jack."

Jack slowly got up, hands on his head.

"Shall I just kill you right here, right now? Or should I give you a slow, painful death worthy of useless garbage like you?"

Unbeknownst to Belkin, Jack was ever so slightly moving his hips to the right, loosening the pouch of coin grenades given to him by Jeffries on his belt. Finally, they fell off and Jack quickly grabbed the pouch and pulled one out. Belkin was confused by the action, so he didn't shoot. Jack held the coin out in front of him.

"See this, Martin? This may look like a coin to you, but it's a grenade. Made by our friends in the tech department of the very building you bstards made me blow up. If this touches the ground, it will explode."

"You're bluffing, Jack. It's just a coin. What your saying is impossible."

"Oh really? Want to test it? You like to play games, right? You and you're friend have been playing one with me all morning. Lets play one now. The explosive charge in this coin will only go off if it lands on tails. I flip it, and if it lands on tails, you're dead. If it lands on heads, you get to shoot me. How's that sound to you?"

"Turning the tables now, are you Jack? Let's do it," Belkin said, lowering the gun for a moment. He had a worried look on his face.

Jack stared at him for a second, met his eyes with his in a tense standoff. Belkin was beginning to sweat, but Jack was perfectly calm.

"I flip on the count of three."

Jack stared for a little longer, then:

"One........two........three."

Jack flipped the coin. It seemed to hang in the air for a moment before it hit the ground. It was heads. Belkin began to laugh.

"Hahahaha. Looks like you...."

The coin exploded, shooting Belkin backward and slamming him against his wrecked car. Jack stood up from the boulder he had jumped behind.

"Heads. You lose," Jack smirked.

Chase was still pulling away rubble, trying to get to the source of the screams. He had just got done dialing 911. The authorities were on their way. He knew he would need help here. He couldn't do this all by himself, obviously. He just hoped that at least someone survived this.

John Davis had just hung up with Max, telling him everything was under control when it definitely wasn't. His cover may have been blown. Jack could have seen him leave CTU. But he had to put that behind him now, because now he had to go to the dockyards to intercept the device that Max wanted him to get. This device was the main focus of today's events, and he had to make sure he got this right.

Kim was still tied up in the chair in the abandoned warehouse with the two mysterious men who had kidnapped her. She had to find a way to get out of this, just in case her dad couldn't save her this time.

Jack slowly approached the fallen Belkin. He had recovered his USP and was now aiming it at his head.

"Don't move Martin. It's over."

Belkin slowly raised his head. Blood covered his entire face.

"Go on Jack. Kill me. I deserve it. I trusted my adversary, and that is an inexcusable mistake."

Jack placed his gun to the man's forehead. Belkin put on a look of defiance as Jack pulled back the hammer. His finger tightened over the trigger, ready to end his pathetic life. But then, Jack lowered the gun.

"No, I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to let you live. Live with all of the lives you have ended...and destroyed. But rest assured, you will help me find your employer."

"Ha. I'll never talk."

"Really? I said I wouldn't kill you. That dosen't mean I wont put you through so much pain you wish you were dead."

Belkin looked up at Jack in shock as he began to walk toward him, blotting out the sun.

**9:59:57**

**9:59:58**

**9:59:59**

**10:00:00**


End file.
